OUR TEAM

Joseph Travale

President/owner of Dip 'N Dive Inc.

Josep holds Course Director and Instructor Trainer rating with NAUI #17814, and Instructor ratings with PADI #153292, TDI #1135, SDI #1135 and DAN #6384Joe is responsible for coordinating everything from the inventory of the latest state of the art diving equipment sold in the store, to diving trips, diving classes and all activities. He is also a certified equipment repair specialist with several diving manufacturers and supervises all repairs in the service department. Joe has been diving all over the world and brings this diving experience to all the courses and activities that Dip 'n Dive offers. From the shipwreck laden waters of the Great Lakes to the historical dive sites in Truk Lagoon there isn't much Joe hasn't seen or experienced underwater.

Frank Nawrocki

Founder of Dip 'N Dive

Frank Nawrocki, NAUI #4017, often called the "Dean of WNY Diving Training", Frank earned his first diver certification in 1967. A Lifetime Member of NAUI, Frank is certified as a NAUI Instructor Trainer and Course Director, NAUI's highest designations. A former US Navy Diving Officer, Frank co-founded Dip 'N Dive in 1975 and currently supervises the leadership programs. Frank also is certified as a scuba instructor through numerous other international diving agencies including PADI, TDI and SDI as well as being a licensed US Coast Guard Captain. Frank currently teaches the college scuba program at Fredonia State University and is also a member of the Niagara County Sheriff's Department Underwater Response Team. He organizes and conducts many of our local diving activities and when not in WNY, can be found leading diving groups throughout the world.

Donna Nawrocki

Founder of Dip 'N Dive

Donna Nawrocki, NAUI #5923, the other half of the Dip 'N Dive founding team, Donna is well known in international instructional circles. First certified in 1971, she is a Lifetime Member of NAUI and maintains a NAUI Instructor Trainer status. She holds a Masters Degree in Physical Education and has taught thousands of divers in WNY during her diving career. Her other claim to fame is her international diving travel knowledge. At Dip 'N Dive, she organizes the most complete worldwide diving adventures from the Caribbean to the most remote diving outposts of the world! You can meet Donna teaching in one of our many basic classes or join her on one of our global diving adventures. It is Donna who truly exemplifies our motto, "Dip 'N Dive….Your Passport to the Underwater World".

Patrick Wolfe

Instructor, NAUI 18109 & TDI 1138

Pat started diving in 1977 and soon became hooked on shipwreck diving. He became a Scuba Instructor in 1986 and joined NAUI and the Dip 'n Dive staff in 1995. He is an active NAUI and SDI Instructor, a NAUI Instructor Trainer, a Technical Diving Instructor with both NAUI and TDI, and an NSS-SDS certified Cave Diver. He is a veteran of many technical wreck diving trips to some of the most famous shipwrecks of the North East including the Kamloops, the Empress of Ireland and the Andrea Doria. He trains public safety divers and his students are members of over two- dozen dive teams throughout Western and Central NY. He has worked as a research diver for New York State and has worked as a private contractor on search and salvage operations, pier inspections and boat repairs. He has been involved with two diving equipment studies at the University of Buffalo. Pat combines his many years of teaching and thousands of dive adventures to give his students the best possible learning experience.

Mike Wittenrich

Instructor, NAUI#35258

Mike learned how to SCUBA dive after taking a YMCA course at the age of 16. He did his first dives in his family's farm pond and was hooked forever. Mike became a NAUI instructor in 2000. In addition to being an award winning artist specializing in marine art, Mike also teaches Dip'n Dive's underwater photography course. Mike has been diving from the New England coast to the Florida Keys and most of the Caribbean Sea. Mike also has been diving on the Pacific side from Costa Rica to French Polynesia and the Indian Ocean. With this wealth of diving experience Mike brings to our staff, he loves to share is knowledge with new students.

David Menno

Instructor, NAUI#47023

Upon earning basic SCUBA certification through Dip 'n Dive in 1980, diving was originally enjoyed by Dave as only a vacation activity. Leisure time was divided among other hobbies such as barefoot water skiing and private aviation. Several years later through the encouragement of his wife Sandie, he began diving regularly with Dip 'N Dive in the local fresh waters and on organized trips to Tobermory, Cape Ann, 1000 Islands, Cayman Islands, and the Bahamas. The hook was then firmly set and SCUBA diving truly became a passion. Helping people learn to dive, and achieve higher levels of certification if they choose to do so has become the most rewarding and challenging activity of a lifetime. When not underwater, Dave and his wife enjoy cruises and ballroom dancing.

Kim Campana

Instructor, NAUI# 39455

Kim started her diving career in 2000. After going on a trip with Dip 'n Dive to Walkers Cay and experiencing a shark dive she was hooked forever. She began taking continuing education courses and quickly moved up the ranks to NAUI Divemaster. Kim has worked as a divemaster in the Florida Keys showing diver's reefs, wrecks and how to catch lobster in season. In addition she worked with the Florida marine research team as a volunteer recording data for the restoration of Florida Reefs! Kim is also a teacher by profession and uses her experiences to help her SCUBA diving students learn how to love our sport as much as she does. Kim recently finished her instructor course in March of 2008.

Bruce Breen

Divemaster, NAUI# 26074

Bruce works full time at Dip 'n Dive and manages our service department with years of technical, managerial and customer service experience. Bruce manages the day to day operations of the store when he isn't out helping students learn how to dive. He has been diving for 14 years and is a certified NAUI Divemaster, Rescue diver, wreck diver and ice diver. He is factory trained and certified to meet your equipment needs. In addition to local waters Bruce has dives in Tobermory and Brockville Ontario, The Saint Lawrence River, Cape Ann Massachusetts, Cancun and Cozumel Mexico and Key Largo Florida. Also he is an accomplished boater having spent 25 years on Lake Erie and the Niagara River.